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Kids
use marijuana to feel grown up
Children
like to imitate adults. This imitation takes on
many forms as they grow, including wearing their parents'
clothes, copying the way that they speak, and imitating
some of their behaviors. This is because they
think that being a grown up is a very desirable thing.
Grown-ups have the freedom to say and do anything they
want. They can also eat and drink anything they
want.
Steps
you can take: Let
your children grow up. The harder you try to rein
them back, the harder your children may rebel.
In most cases, when you let your children have increasing
amounts of independence when they prove they can handle
it, they are less likely to turn to drugs and alcohol.
You can also be a good role model for your children,
pointing out examples of irresponsible drinking and
drug use. Use these incidences as a starting point for
constructive conversation around these issues.
Kids
use marijuana to fit in and belong
Children
want others to like them. Sometimes the peer group
they want to join is using marijuana. They may
feel that if they start using the drug themselves they
will fit in with the others better and become more popular.
Establishing a clear position with a child that drugs
are bad is not always enough to counteract all this
peer pressure. Children must also have your guidance
to help them make good decisions.
Steps
you can take:
Help your child deal with peer pressure. You can do
this by sharing information on a variety of topics.
By establishing a strong relationship early on with
your child, you are building good judgment skills.
With those skills in place your child can learn to resist
peer pressures and strengthen their ability to choose
not to use drugs. You can also help your child
understand how to act appropriately in social situations.
Teach your child how to build solid relationships with
non-drug using friends. In addition, act as a mentor
by providing support and encouragement to your child,
by setting aside time to spend together.
Kids
use marijuana to relax and feel good
There
are a lot of things in the world today, we didn't have
when we ourselves were young. These things make
it difficult for kids to make good judgments include
increased violence, school shootings, gangs problem,
economic pressures, HIV and AIDS, divorce, single parent
families, and most of all the easy access to drugs,
alcohol and tobacco. Any one of these factors
may contribute to substance abuse among young people.
Some of them even think that using these drugs will
help them forget about their problems.
The
counteraction you can take: Help
reduce stress in your child's life. Allow your child
to express their feelings and concerns. Let the
your child also know that you too experience pain, fear,
anger and nervousness and that these are normal feelings.
Help your child to express these feelings without having
to resort to violence. You can also teach your
child some relaxation exercises or just to sitting quietly
for 10 to 20 minutes.
Kids
use marijuana to take risks and rebel
Children
need to learn how to take risks. This is an important
part of growing up. There are all kinds of risks
that people of all ages take everyday. Young people
take even more than adults, because they want to push
the limits. As greater levels of risks are achieved,
children continue to look for opportunities to expand
their horizons and grow. That's why drugs and
alcohol hold such allure for young people.
The
counteraction you can take:
Talk to your
child about all different kinds of risk-taking and the
advantages and disadvantages associated with each one.
The fact is, kids and adults both have to acknowledge
the consequences of taking risks. There are some
children who need lots of sensation or thrills in their
lives. They like loud noises, lots of stimulation
to keep their attention, and they seem to thrive on
chaos. These young people are particularly at
high risk for alcohol and drug problems. In addition,
some young people really want to rebel against society
by engaging in anti-social behavior. You can provide
supportive parenting to counteract these tendencies,
you are less likely to raise children who use drugs,
alcohol and tobacco.
Kids
use marijuana to satisfy curiosity
Even
if parents have done an outstanding job educating and
nurturing their children, there are just some children
who will remain extremely curious about drugs and alcohol.
These children may seek information about those drugs
from unreliable sources.
Steps you can take:
Help your children get the facts.
Share information with your child about drugs and what
the consequences of using them will bring. You
may also encourage your child to do research on his
or her own. This may give the child additional
ownership about the information and prompt more learning
as a result. You can also show your child the
devastating effects of substance abuse - take them to
a local treatment center, visit areas of your community
plagued by substance abuse problems, or arrange to visit
the police station and talk to some of the officers.
Our page Types
of Drugs can be
a good start.
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